Title: A Reason To Love You

Summary: Sakura's in denial over her feelings for her ex-sensei, and when he leaves on a mission, she's left to ponder quietly on her problems. But when Kakashi comes back with a surprise, Sakura may just have a chance….

Kaka/Saku

Ages:

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura: 17

Kakashi: 31

Chapter 1: Leaving

Sakura threw another kunai at the Copy Nin, who dodged it with ease, she was panting and trying to catch her breath. They have been at it for almost two and a half hours, and it was getting on her nerves. The kunai she had thrown was way off, and it disappeared into the bushes.

Kakashi was still standing there with a lazy expression, and looked as if he hasn't broken a sweat, but there were still some cuts on his pants, and that was it.

" OOOhh… damn you," Sakura mumbled and sank to her knees.

Even though she gave it all she had, the jounin was still much more experienced, faster, and stronger. With all the punches she had took, Sakura was sure she'd get ugly, purple bruises by tomorrow.

" I'll end today's training, I doubt you'll able to throw a kunai now," Kakashi looked over the beat up Sakura, " But you've improved, especially your taijutsu, and the only thing you need to tweak a bit is your stamina, you won't last in long battles,"

Sakura nodded and grinned, her sensei was commenting on her taijutsu! It wasn't everyday Kakashi would comment on her. Normally it would be, Sakura! You're not using your senses, if this was a real battle, that punch would have shattered your ribs!

Placing a hand on a gash across her leg, Sakura started to heal it. Kakashi had walked over to a tree and sat beneath it, hiding away in the shadows, reading his smut.

Sakura saw this and chuckled softly, same old Kakashi. They had been training together for almost two months, during that time, Naruto and Sasuke were constantly sent out on elite missions.

Being the only one left in the dust (Again), Sakura decided she would take the jounin test, which is held three weeks from today.

Studying the medic-jutsu scrolls Tsunade had ordered her to study, and training long gruesome hours with Kakashi, Sakura had thoughts of giving up once in a while, but of course, her inner ego went berserk.

"HOW DARE YOU THINK OF GIVING UP! DO YOU WANT TO KEEP BEING LEFT IN THE DUST? DO YOU? NO! SO KEEP TRAINING!"

She couldn't hear clearly for the rest of that day, courtesy of Inner Sakura's bellowing.

" Sakura, I'm going on a mission tomorrow,"

Sakura looked up, " Really? How long?"

Silence, Kakashi looked up from his smut, " I may not able to watch your exams"

Frowning, Sakura got up and walked over to Kakashi's spot in the shade, " That long huh…."

" Hm."

Three weeks or even more….Sakura thought sadly, and started to twiddle her thumbs, a habit when she was either nervous or tired.

Kakashi noticed this, " Want to head back?"

Sakura shook her head, her pink hair getting messed up, " Nah, I want to stay longer…."

" Hm." Kakashi flicked another page.

Sakura glanced at her sensei, she knew some feelings have been developed during their training, and the feelings were ever so present right now. At first, Sakura thought it was just a phase, but now, she wasn't so sure anymore.

She started to play with the grass, and a thought struck her.

" Hmmm, I think I should get to the hospital now," Sakura ended her thoughts and hopped up, brushing away some grass that stuck to her white shorts. Her black shirt was still stuck to her body like her second skin, from all the sweat.

Kakashi got up also, " Should I walk you?" Sakura smiled, " It's okay,"

Doing a hand seal, she poofed off in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

Kakashi smiled slightly from behind his mask and looked at the kunais littered on the grounds. Sighing, he started to collect each one of them.

" I'll drop off her kunais at her apartment." Kakashi thought, as he put the kunais into a leather pouch. Whistling to a catchy tune, Kakashi headed back to his apartment.

--

After heading back to her apartment to change into her nurses uniform, she poofed to the hospital.

" Sakura, you're here! Thank Kami, a squad of injured jounins just came back. Go heal Uzumaki!" Tsunade-sensei shouted as she hurried towards a beaten up jounin, who was choking up blood.

Sakura nodded and hurried over to the said blonde, who was lying on a stretcher, grinning weakly.

" What happened?" Sakura asked as she healed a bloody gash on Naruto's left arm.

Naruto laughed slightly, " Got ambushed on the way back, no biggie!"

Sakura laughed, and Naruto smiled, " Hey, Sakura, you're going to take the jounin test right? When's the written exam?"

" Next week," Sakura replied as she set to work on pulling out a kunai from Naruto's leg.

Naruto winced slightly, " Oh, good luck!"

Sakura smiled at the now laughing blonde, " Thanks,"

Doing a last check-up, Sakura headed off to another patient, after ordering Naruto to stay on the bed.

" AWWW!"

--

Two weeks Later…

" Sakura! Sakura!" Ino called as she ran towards the pink haired kunoichi.

Sakura turned around, holding a bag of groceries, " What?"

" You're against Koichi Sumita!" Ino managed to say as she stopped beside Sakura, panting and out of breath, " Do you know how long I've been trying to find you?"

Sakura just smiled, " Long enough to piss you off?" Ino frowned and playfully pushed Sakura. " Hey, wanna head to the pub tonight?"

Sakura shook her head, " No thanks, I'm going home, I still have a lot of medical jutsus Tsunade-sensei made me to study, plus the jounin exam is next week."

Ino pouted, " But you're the third-ranked medic nin in Konoha! A little sake won't hurt!" Sakura snorted, " Yeah, right. Every time I come with you to the pub, I always get a painful hangover the next morning."

" Just this once! I swear, after passing the written exam, I haven't seen you smile! You need to get your social life back!" Ino remarked as they headed towards Sakura's apartment. A painful expression came and went on Sakura's face, and Ino just happened to catch a glimpse of it.

" It's Kakashi-sensei, right? Oh, don't worry! I'm sure he won't get hurt, he's one of the top ranked jounins in Konoha!" Ino patted Sakura's shoulder. Sakura gave her best friend a thankful smile.

Ino looked thoughtful for a moment, " Have you heard? Naruto handed in his application for ANBU a few days ago."

Sakura almost dropped her groceries, " W-what?"

" Naruto handed in his application for ANBU, " Ino said again, as they passed the Konoha Bakery.

" Oh………"

He never told me………..

They reached Sakura's apartment, " Sakura, I think I should go and find Shika now, I got him to treat me for dinner!" Ino said, Sakura nodded, " Alright, bye!"

" Bye!" Ino called over her shoulder and ran off.

Sakura smiled, almost all of her friends had found their mates, Ino with Shikamaru, Naruto and Hinata……..

" I'm all alllloooooonnnneeee…." Sakura thought in a melodrama voice.

" No you're not, at least you still have a few men chasing you!" Inner Sakura chided, as she walked into her apartment.

" Lee-san does not count," Sakura snorted as she set down the groceries on the kitchen counter.

And neither does Sasuke…… Sakura thought sadly as she sat down on her couch. It used to be a childish crush, when she was younger, every time she would talk to him, it was as if someone stole all her words, leaving her as a stuttering idiot. But now…..

" Sasuke's just an older brotherly figure to me…" Sakura murmured to herself.

And besides, after he became an ANBU six months ago, he's been searching for his brother, Itachi.

He's an avenger.

Now Naruto will be joining in the ranks of ANBU in a few days most probably.

Sakura stood up, with a new resolve, " I need to pass the Jounin Exam, and I won't get left behind!"

Again.

Sakura looked over to her dinner table, and saw a black leather pouch. Walking over to it, she opened it. And a saw her kunais she had forgotten to pick up after her training with Kakashi.

" Kakashi………."

A/N: Urm, a bit shorter than the original, and many changes were made. Literally. Some scenes in the original chapters will also make another debut in the re-written ones. (Shrugs) Not much humor in this chapter.

And just a recap in case anyone is confused.

Sasuke achieved the ranks of ANBU six months ago. Sasuke NEVER left Konoha. (Meaning he never went to search for the bastard-snake - -;) He went on a mission to search and kill his brother Itachi.

Naruto is a jounin, and has handed in is application for ANBU.

Sakura is a chuunin, and will take the last part of the Jounin Exam in a week.

Ino and Hinata are chuunin, and the rest of the gang are mostly jounins.

Next Chapter: Sakura attends the Jounin Exam. And finds out Naruto has passed the ANBU exam.

Criticism is HIGHLY APPRECIATED, and flames will be used to heat my pot of tea.

Note: Rewriting this was one of my best ideas these days. I was really disappointed how the first few original chapters came out. It made no sense to me with the plot brewing in my head.